Cruising Helmsman Magazine Lagoon 42 Review
When you are on a good thing…Cruising Helmsman Magazine reviews the Lagoon 42
It’s now been over two years since the Lagoon 42 was launched in Australia, so Phil Ross, editor of Cruising Helmsman magazine, decided to take a closer look at the multi-award-winning 42 and find out why this boat has been such a hugely successful model for Lagoon.
The Lagoon 42 comes in either 3 or 4 cabin layouts and Cruising Helmsman tested the three cabin version with master cabin in the starboard hull.
Here’s what Phil Ross loved about the Lagoon 42.
Spacious accommodation
Excellent ventilation and light – Along the cabin roof are five portholes, three of which are hatches for excellent ventilation and light.
Spacious set-up – The forward head and shower cabin is a massive 2.5 metres long.
The port hull has the other two cabins and both have their own head and shower ensuites. Both beds are doubles, the same as the master bed.
Enormous storage space – There is a small desk and pull out seat alongside a larger dressing seat just forward of the master cabin. The bed is raised quite high but has raised side access. Underneath is an enormous storage unit.
Substantial headroom – Headroom in both these hulls is a shade under two metres, Quite substantial for a 42 footer.
There is a lot of racking and shelving taking advantage of both the slab-sided hull walls and the distinct absence of heel.
Saloon table easily seats seven – Saloon table would easily seat seven with aft chair just forward of the mast post centrally located in the saloon. Two opening hatches are within the centre windows of the wrap-around cabin windows. The navigation station is to starboard at the end of the saloon settee. This is mostly a functional relaxing area for when the nights get too cold to stay on the aft deck.
Lots of bench space and shelving – Back inside to starboard is the U-galley. The galley is a single sink alongside a three-burner stovetop. The oven is underneath. There is lots of bench space and shelving.
The sundowner yacht of choice – As with most catamaran designs, it is the aft deck where most time is spent. The aft deck area has a more functional rectangular dining table. There is a large day lounge on the port side and more seating across the aft beam. The Lagoon 42 is designed to be the sundowner yacht of choice in any safe harbour.
A suitable, simple set-up on deck
Mast has been moved aft – this allows for the shrouds to be well aft along the topsides…so far aft they make a great handhold when moving in or out of the aft deck.
Steering station with plenty of room – to port is both high enough for good 360° view and low enough to still feel part of the fun on the aft deck.
There is plenty of room here for a driver and a trimmer, whether standing or sitting on the padded seat. Behind the double seat, there is room to pass through and down to the aft deck.
Access to the cabin top is but a few steps away with a sliding overhead hatch making certain you do not bang your head as you go.
“THE RIG HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANTLY ENHANCED TO MAKE THIS RIDE BETTER IN SPEED,
COMFORT AND SAFETY.”
Level walk from out to inside – The aft deck has been raised above the aft crossbeam so there is a level walkthrough from out to inside.
The crossbeam is also not carried through the hulls so the sugar scoops steps are wide and there are only two.
Airflow and gallery access – Tri-sliding doors allow a number of options depending on the weather, airflow and galley access.
Plenty of space in engine rooms – On the test yacht the engines had been upgraded from 33 kilowatt (45 horsepower) to 42kW (57hp). The engine rooms still had plenty of space to get down into and work around.
Clever design work
Lagoon use resin-infused techniques, which has the added benefit of making the boat lighter, as well as some clever design work to finesse its performance.
Easier access – The mast has been moved aft, this brings it close to the steering station on the bridge deck allowing easier access; but, more importantly, it brings the centre of effort aft as well, resulting in a higher aspect ratio rig with the taller mast.
Reduced pitching – With this power set aft, pitching is reduced and the bows ride a little higher making its motion over heavy seas a lot nicer.
Self-tacking option– With the mast aft Lagoon have been able to add in a self-tacking option to the jib, now tacking is a simple matter of turning the wheel without the previous problem of tacking inherent in older multihull designs.
Each hull has long shallow keels, which are more suited for off the wind performance than upwind, always the better angle for a multihull. However, the 42 proved beautiful to sail.
Nice wide transom sugar scoops with few steps. The dinghy davit is a fantastic system whereby the whole davit apparatus pivots to lower the tender; you can also see the liferaft box and the aft cabin rear windows. Separate to the hulls these keels also protect the hull and rudders in case of grounding or gunkholing too close.
“The reason I was invited to take this yacht for a sail on a Sunday was that a potential owner wanted to see how well a catamaran handled the swells outside the Sydney Heads. It was a fairly wild and woolly day but a great opportunity to truly test a catamaran on open waters.
We did some fast reaching and some windward work into the steep swells coming through the heads, providing a good idea of its capability for both the potential owner and myself.
Tacking was no problem in this breeze even though the swell sometimes fought against us. The Lagoon 42 certainly showed how it could rack up the miles on a long cruise. Maybe more importantly, you will be comfortable.”
To find out more about the Lagoon 42 contact us.
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